Australian Woman Survives Plunge After Bungee Line Snaps
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Victoria Falls Bridge. iStockphoto/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — An Australian student touring Zimbabwe survived a fall into the Zambezi River after her bungee cord broke, dropping her into crocodile-infested waters.
“I think it is definitely a miracle that I survived,” said Erin Langworthy.
Langworthy did the jump on Dec. 31 with Shearwater Victoria Falls, whose website touts the experience as “Pure Adrenaline!!!!!!!!!!!”
The 22-year-old jumped from Victoria Falls Bridge, 365 feet above the river, and after the cord snapped — with her feet tied together — she maneuvered her way to the bank, she told ABC’s Good Morning America. The whole experience was caught on camera by her friend.
“I actually brought my arms up over my face, to protect myself when I hit the water. I sort of remember it all, it was quite cold so it snapped me out of it,” she told GMA on Monday. “I tried to stay afloat, and your legs are quite heavy cause of the line. I was hearing the rapids. Luckily we had been rafting, so I remembered some of the safety tips.”
Langworthy spent a week in the hospital with a fractured collarbone and bruises. She says that all of her cuts and bruises have now healed.
“The main problem is my lungs. So I’m stuck in South Africa longer then I thought,” she said.
According to Victoria Falls National Park officials and tourist websites, nearly 50,000 people had jumped from that bridge over the past decade, and this was the first time a cord had snapped.
“As a matter of record we wish to highlight her bravery and survival skills, which contributed significantly to her rescue. Her continued positive disposition and strength of character has been an inspiration to us all,” Shearwater Victoria Falls said in a statement. “It goes without saying that we deeply regret the incident, which is the first such incident in 17 years of operations during which time more than 150,000 people have safely jumped from the bridge.”
Langworthy told GMA that she would consider bungee jumping again — just not anytime soon.
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio